PSYCH 104 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Internal Validity, Random Assignment, External Validity
Document Summary
Theories: constructs linked in some logical way. Independent variables-observable event that causes person to do something. Dependent variables-observable behavior produced by the person. Confederate- person pretending to be a participant. Confidence that independent variable caused change in dependent variable. Experimental realism: participants forgot they are in an experiment. External validity: findings generalize to other people and other settings. One of the most common threats to internal validity are confounding variables. Internal validity tends to be higher in laboratory settings. When two variables are confounded with one another, their individual effects are. Potential harm on participants and potential benefits to society must be considered mixed together and cannot be separate. Correlational approach: researcher does not control variables or random assignment. Weakness of approach: does not prove causation. Random sample: each person has an equal chance of being selected. Validity: measures what it purports to measure. Replication: repeating studies corrects false theories over time.
